The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device, and more particularly to a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) type solid-state imaging device, a method of driving the same, and an electronic apparatus using the same.
A general CMOS type solid-state imaging device has a mechanism for successively scanning two-dimensionally arranged pixel arrays every pixel row, thereby reading out pixel signals from the pixel arrays. A time lag is generated in an accumulation period of time for each pixel row through the row-sequential scanning, thereby causing a phenomenon called a focal plane deformation in which a captured image is deformed in a phase of capturing an image of a moving subject.
In the capturing of an image of a subject, moving at a high speed, for which such an image deformation cannot be allowed, and in a sensing use application requiring simultaneity of the captured image, for the purpose of realizing the simultaneity of the accumulation period of time for the pixel arrays, a global shutter function is proposed. The global shutter function is a function of simultaneously starting the accumulation in the entire surface of the pixel arrays by all-row simultaneously resetting drive for photodiodes in the pixel arrays, and simultaneously ending the accumulation in the entire surface of the pixel arrays by preceding-row simultaneously transferring drive for electric charge accumulating portions such as floating diffusions.
Although the reading-out operation is carried out through the row-sequential scanning in this case as well, in a CMOS type solid-state imaging device having the global shutter function, normally, it is necessary to accumulate signal electric charges until a phase of reading out the signal electric charges in an electric charge accumulating portion such as a floating diffusion. For this reason, there is caused a problem that until the phase of reading out the signal electric charges, the signal electric charges held in the electric charge accumulating portion such as the floating diffusion are deteriorated by noises due to leakage of electric charges and photoelectric conversion in the floating diffusion itself (these noises are referred to as false signals).
On the other hand, a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-108889 proposes a configuration in which a pixel, aimed at correction, generating only a false signal from a floating diffusion without holding signal electric charges accumulated is used separately from a pixel accumulating and holding signal electric charges until a phase of reading out. In this case, the correction is carried out by subtracting a false signal read out from a nearby pixel aimed at the correction from the signal read out from the pixel that carried out accumulating and holding of signal electric charges.